Music and Counseling

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Music and Counseling
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Music is

• Universal
• Multicultural
• Creative
• The appreciation of sound

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Responses to music

• Mental
• Emotional
• Physical
• Spiritual

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Healing powers of music

• Music can alter and create moods.
• It can facilitate the expression of emotion.
• It can reduce stress and anxiety.
• It can help with grief, abuse and intimacy
  issues, among other problems.

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Music and health

• Music produces sedative results (Hanser,1988).
• Ancient cultures, including the Greeks, used
  music in nurturing and healing (Mandsager, et al.
  1997,Moreno, 1988).
• Shamans have used music to help their patients
  achieve emotional highs.

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Hospitals

• Music may be used to take ones mind off physical
  problems.
• Music is often used in psychiatric hospitals.

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Music in Counseling

• May be focused on the interests and tastes of the
  client.
• Clients may listen to , write about, or perform
  music.
• Exposure to new/unfamiliar musical forms may
  allow for additional expressiveness on the part
  of the client.

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Selection of music activity

• Based on the goals of counseling (preventive or
  remedial)
• Based on the personality of the client
• Based on individual needs of the client

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Music Therapy American Music Therapy Association

• Offered as a degree at 70 colleges and
  universities
• Defined by AMTA as the prescribed use of music
  by a qualified person to effect positive changes
  in the psychological, social, cognitive or
  physical functioning of an individual.

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Benefits to clients

• Improves level of musical functioning while
  improving problems in motor skills, academics,
  communications, social interactions, or emotions.
• Clients can sing, play music or play games with
  music.

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Some skills of music therapists

• Able to play keyboard, guitar and sing
• Able to compose and improvise simple songs be
  able to conduct.
• Able to assess functional levels of clients
  through the use of music
• Able to participate in treatment planning and
  follow-up with other professionals

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Minimum criteria for music therapists

• BM in music therapy or Masters degree from an
  accredited program approved by AMTA.
• Specific courses and supervised internships

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Music in Counseling

• Not as specific in directedness of training of
  musical therapists more generalist.
• Still employs making music or listening to music
  (audio therapy).
• Counselor may provide music or ask clients to
  bring in music.
• Clients may be asked to improvise or compose
  music.

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Music with specific populations

• Children
• Adolescents
• Adults
• Families and couples
• Groups
• Clients with Illnesses

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Music can be used with

• Poetry, especially poetic lyrics
• Movement and dance
• Play therapy
• Autobiography, in which a person uses music or
  sounds to tell about himself or herself
• Storytelling, to describe a character or a
  setting.